People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 119 Even if you die, you cannot retreat!

However, a few days later, the situation in Youzhou changed again. Zhang Chun, who had suddenly rebelled, led an army of more than 60,000 people, including five to six thousand Wuhuan cavalry, and assembled them near Yuyang. It seemed that they were about to attack in one fell swoop with such a huge momentum.

However, Zhang Chun's rebel army only stayed here and did not actually enter the territory of Yuyang.

Although Zhang Chun had said many harsh words to Xu Chen in private, but when the time came, he really dared not ignore Xu Chen's warning. It was easy to lead the army into Yuyang, but if Xu Chen was really forced into a corner, then things would not end well. Was he really going to fight Xu Chen to the death here?
Not to mention that the Yellow Turbans here are tough guys themselves, and then that bastard Gongsun Zan will have to make a fool of himself.

The wind was blowing hard, and the army's flags were waving all over the sky. The momentum of this huge army alone was enough to make people tremble with fear. At this time, in the central army tent, there was a man who was expressing his dissatisfaction with Zhang Chun's actions.

"Why should we be afraid of the Yellow Turbans? I have fought against them before when they were causing chaos. They are just a group of refugees and farmers. If they dare to block the road, we should just kill them. General Zhang, don't you even have this much courage?"

The man who was speaking was sturdy and fierce-looking. He was wearing a fur coat and a bone necklace around his neck, looking like a nomad. He was Qiuliju, the leader of the Wuhuan tribe in Liaoxi. He controlled more than 5,000 households in the Wuhuan tribe and was one of the major forces of the Wuhuan in Youzhou.

The Wuhuan cavalry fought bravely, and Qiuliju naturally looked down on the Yellow Turbans.

In fact, it's not just the Yellow Turbans, he even looks down on Zhang Chun in front of him. Although the Wuhuan are brave, the number of cavalry in his own army is limited after all, and he also needs Zhang Chun's strength.

Now the two sides have a total of 60,000 to 70,000 troops, and they are sharpening their swords to plunder the Central Plains, but they are stopped by the Yellow Turbans. Qiu Liju is of course dissatisfied.

Zhang Chun frowned immediately after being ridiculed in person by Qiuliju, but now that he had to rely on the power of Wuhuan, he had to endure it. After all, he was only cooperating with Wuhuan, not conquering Wuhuan, and the status of both sides was relatively equal.

Then he forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty's Wuhuan warriors are certainly brave, but these Yellow Turbans are no longer the same as they once were. If they really attack recklessly, our army will be stuck in a quagmire, which is not good."

Qiu Liju didn't believe it, and looked at Zhang Chun with a barely perceptible contempt in his eyes: "The Yellow Turbans are just a mob, and they can hold back the Wuhuan army. It's a joke!"

Zhang Chun suddenly had a headache: "Your Majesty, you don't know, these Yellow Turbans are really different, they are just that kind of..."

At this point, Zhang Chun didn't know how to explain it. If one had never fought with these Yellow Turbans, one would not understand what made them so special.

In the end, he could only sigh and say, "In short, the Yellow Turbans here are definitely not a mob. Your Majesty, please be patient and wait."

Qiu Liju looked unhappy, but he finally calmed down and said, "Since you don't want to fight, then how should we go? Are we going to go around Yuyang and go far beyond the Great Wall?"

Zhang Chun heard this and laughed, "I stationed troops here to intimidate and coerce. If Xu Guangtou can't stand the pressure, he will inevitably give in. I don't want to fight to the death, so does he dare to do it?"

Just as Zhang Chun expected, less than half a day after they set up camp and stationed troops here, Yuyang also gathered a large army and rushed here. The two sides confronted each other from a distance of more than ten miles apart, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense and murderous.

With such a large army stationed next to him, Xu Chen certainly had to react, as he could not be sure that the other side would really attack.

Moreover, Yuyang had already begun preparing for war when it learned of Gongsun Zan's appointment. When Zhang Chun rebelled later, Yuyang became even more nervous, so not long after Zhang Chun's army appeared, the main force also arrived quickly.

After arriving here, Xu Chen, accompanied by Wang Dang and Tian Shitou, led a thousand-strong army and moved forward, while Zhang Chunqiuliju on the other side also made the same move in tacit understanding.

Whether it is war or giving way, both sides will inevitably have to negotiate.

While marching, Wang Dang saw the overwhelming momentum of the enemy positions from afar, and his face suddenly became solemn.

"As the leader said, once these guys break out of Youzhou and enter the Central Plains, they will surely bring disaster to the entire northern Han people. In recent days, people from Youbeiping have been fleeing here. According to what they have experienced, the Wuhuan people's behavior is no different from that of beasts."

When Wang Dang spoke, his tone was cold, especially when he looked at the Wuhuan cavalry position, the murderous intent in his eyes could not be suppressed.

A few days ago, Li Zheng, a Yellow Turban spy, brought detailed intelligence about Youbeiping. The atrocities of the Wuhuan, including looting and killing, were clearly displayed before their eyes. This directly aroused unanimous indignation from the leader Xu Chen to the Yellow Turban group.

Their indignation is not only due to the atrocities themselves, but also largely because they are from the same ethnic group and feel sympathy for their fellow human beings.

These cruel and inhumane things were even more difficult for Xu Chen to accept, and this also ended his idea of ​​siding with Zhang Chun and Wuhuan.

Although the Yellow Turbans and they are both rebels against the Han Dynasty, ethnic conflict has become the main contradiction in this matter.

"There is no doubt that if they are allowed to break out of Youzhou, those inhumane atrocities will surely occur on every inch of land under their hooves. We, the Yellow Turbans, fight for the working people and will never become their accomplices."

As the distance between the two sides got closer, the tension in Xu Chen's words became stronger and stronger.

"My spring ploughing in Yuyang has just ended. We cannot let them in no matter what. We must be determined and ready to fight to the death to force them to take a detour. We must first ensure the stability of Yuyang, and then plan for the aftermath!"

Xu Chen's words determined the direction of the Yellow Turbans, and this was the direction the Yellow Turbans had to go. The current nature of the Yellow Turbans determined that they could not go along with the likes of Zhang Chun and Wuhuan. Although the officers and soldiers were not good people, they were in agreement with the Yellow Turbans in terms of protecting the people of the Han Dynasty.

What Xu Chen is worried about now is, can the Yellow Turbans really force the other party away successfully?
When they were more than 500 steps away, the more than a thousand troops on both sides stopped tacitly. This was a relatively close distance and relatively safe for both sides.

Not long after they stopped, Wang Dang made a gesture and a rider came forward, and Xu Chen also spoke at this time.

“Tell them that I have clearly stated that they are not allowed to set foot in Yuyang. What do they intend to do by stationing troops here today?

If you want to force your way into Yuyang, I have the Yuyang army behind me. These 80,000 men are all ready to fight to the death. If you have the guts, come and give it a try. It’s a life or death battle!”

After Xu Chen finished speaking, the riders immediately left and soon arrived at Zhang Chun's Wuhuan position, where they stayed, apparently delivering a message.

While waiting, Xu Chen's heart was not as tough as his words.

The so-called 80,000 troops were just a bunch of people gathered to boost their morale. The current combat power of the Yellow Turbans was actually only about 10,000. With the addition of civilians, there were probably several thousand people.

Although the tens of thousands of troops on Zhang Chun's side were mostly just for show, the Wuhuan cavalry actually numbered several thousand, and this was the combat power that really worried Xu Chen.

Tian Shitou, who was standing by, couldn't help but ask, "Master, what should we do if the talks fail? Do we really have to fight them to the death?"

Xu Chen had thought about this a long time ago, and quickly replied: "If the negotiations really fail, then we can only withdraw our troops and retreat into the city. It is unreasonable for us Yellow Turbans to bear all their pressure. We can only think of a way to lure Gongsun Zan into the game later."

Wang Dang looked distressed: "The soldiers and civilians can retreat to the city, but what about the fields after the spring plowing?"

Xu Chen said in a deep voice: "So the best option is to bluff. As long as we make them feel that the cost of breaking up is high enough, they will be able to accept the detour through the Great Wall."

When Wang Dang and Tian Shitou heard this, they understood what it meant. As long as they turned themselves into hedgehogs, the dog would not be willing to eat them.

Just in the tense mood, the messenger who was sent out finally came back and brought the other party's words.

"Master, Zhang Chun said that this method must be borrowed, but you and I are all on the same path to attack the Han Dynasty. He does not want to let the Han Dynasty gain an advantage through internal fighting. It is better for both parties to make a bet and only send out the elite to compete, and the result will be determined by the winner!"

No fighting, just competition.
Wang Dang and Tian Shitou looked at each other in surprise. They obviously had not expected this. This was quite novel.

Xu Chen pondered for a moment and understood: "It seems that not only we want to scare them, they also want to scare us, but this at least shows that they are not willing to fight us to the death."

Wang Dang also came to his senses and asked quickly, "So should we respond or not?"

Xu Chen said coldly: "Of course we have to respond. If you don't even have this little confidence, others will really dare to attack you."

Tian Shitou's expression was shocked, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light: "The enemy army must be Wuhuan cavalry. I am willing to fight and meet them, and I will not fail in my mission!"

Xu Chen nodded: "Pass on my order, select 2,000 vanguard battalions and 3,000 infantry to fight. We don't seek victory in this battle, but we must not lose. The rear army positions must be prepared at all times to prevent any changes!"

At the command, the army moved quickly, and soon the 5,000-strong army was ready for battle, marching forward in an orderly manner.

There was also a commotion in the enemy's position, and then five thousand cavalry slowly broke out from it. Just as expected, the enemy's five thousand Wuhuan cavalry were indeed all out.

Five thousand cavalry against one thousand cavalry and four thousand infantry. This is obviously an unfair duel.

However, Xu Chen had no choice. No matter how stern he spoke, he could not hide the fact that he was in a passive position. After all, the enemy was at his doorstep. If he did not want to engage in a full-scale war, the current competition might be the best outcome.

At this time, both sides knew that the result of this competition would ultimately determine the direction of events.

If the most elite forces of the Yellow Turbans perform poorly, Zhang Chun Wuhuan may choose to take advantage of the situation and launch an all-out attack. However, if the Yellow Turbans can still withstand the pressure of the Wuhuan cavalry despite being at a disadvantage, Zhang Chun Wuhuan will have to seriously consider the cost of fighting to the death.

Tian Shitou led an army of 5,000 to confront the Wuhuan cavalry from a distance, and the murderous atmosphere froze in an instant.

"Brothers, Yuyang is right behind us. Even if we have to die in this battle, we cannot retreat!"

(End of this chapter)